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American Morning

Getting Americans Out of Lebanon; Crisis in Mideast Continues

Aired July 26, 2006 - 09:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: For the last U.S. rescue ship departing from Lebanon today, two Americans stuck in country are Stephanie Alahmed's husband and son.
Stephanie joins us from her home in Abita Springs, Louisiana. Nice to see you. Thanks for talking with us this morning.

First, what's the very latest that you've heard. Any update on your family?

STEPHANIE ALAHMED, HUSBAND, SON STUCK IN LEBANON: Definitely big update. About an hour ago I was in contact with a relative in the village where they're staying, and I was told that my husband and son were evacuated yesterday by the United Nations, and that the rest of the family made it out today in, like, a 50-car convoy to -- they're reportedly safe in Sidon. So it's a huge update. He's out of the village, and I think on his way to Tyre. I talked with the State Department. They confirmed that that's routine they've been hearing. They don't have any record of him. He's not on a manifest of a ship or anything, but it follows what's they've heard, that U.N. troops, convoy, whatever, did go and evacuate my husband and son yesterday.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh what fantastic news. I can see you're really thrilled about that.

ALAHMED: I am. It's just a double relief, you know, to know that the family is safe, because that's been our biggest concern is not just getting my husband and son out, but we couldn't leave them all behind in danger. So they said the bombing and everything had gotten much closer and more consistent in their area and they had to make a run for it, and they did, and they're safe.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, thank goodness.

Listen, they're out of the village, of course, but not out of harm's way exactly. I mean, we've been showing pictures from Tyre, where the bombing continues there.

ALAHMED: That's true. It is mixed news. We know he's moved from one place, but I have no confirmation that he's made it to Tyre. No one has heard from him that he's made it to safety there, that he's waiting for a boat. The State Department won't have any record of him until he's finally on a ship and the manifest is sent to them.

S. O'BRIEN: How often have you been talking to, Khaled (ph), your husband and to, Faris (ph), you son? ALAHMED: I have not talked to Khaled in person since last Thursday. There's a family relative. He had the only working cell phone in the area. We've gone through five different phones that have gradually just been knocked out with cell towers, but we could almost get in touch with family there every day. It would get a little harder and harder to make the effort -- I mean, to actually get through. I haven't talked to Khaled or Faris since last Thursday.

S. O'BRIEN: And when you talked to Faris last -- I mean, he's 15 years old. We're looking at pictures of him. He's a young kid. How was he holding up? Was he terrified? Was he sort of staying strong for mom?

ALAHMED: No, he was doing great. He did console me, and say, mom, we're going to be OK, we're fine. You know, and I would be crying on the phone, and he said, why are you crying? He said, I'm the one that's in the war.

And, no, he was handling it fine. I think as any 15-year-old, you know, guns, bomb, it's all very exciting, until you really see your family in harm's way, and I was not able to talk to him since their house was bombed on Sunday.

But I'm telling you, my greatest fear for his mental health was having to leave and leave his family, his grandmother, and aunts, and uncles and cousins, and leave them behind thinking, you know, he might never see them again. So it's a huge relief. And I don't think he knows yet that they've been evacuated safely.

S. O'BRIEN: Well, that will be some great news that you can give him and your husband when you see them both. Stephanie Alahmed, nice to see you. Let's keep in touch. We can find out when the final good news really comes to bear.

ALAHMED: I sure will. Thank you very much.

S. O'BRIEN: My pleasure.

The first planeful of emergency supplies has landed in Beirut. It happened earlier this morning. The Jordanian plane is the first to land at the battered Beirut Airport. That flight filled with medical supplies, including a field hospital, and they won't be leaving empty, those planes, planes carrying about 150 injured civilians out of Beirut.

At least 300 Americans might still be trapped in Southern Lebanon. Their last chance to leave the country could be today. U.S. officials say efforts will be made to get them out by ship from the city of Tyre. The problem is, as you've just heard a moment ago from Stephanie Alahmed there, they have to travel on these incredibly dangerous roads to get to Tyre in the first place. Fifteen-thousand Americans, more or less, have been evacuated from Lebanon since the fighting began.

Ships in both Beirut and Tyre will be bringing out what's expected to be the last loads of evacuees who are all headed for Cyprus, and Cyprus is already bursting at the seams, from the tens of thousands of fleeing the fighting in Lebanon.

CNN's Barbara Starr is in Limassol in Cyprus this morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you Soledad.

Well, that whole situation about getting Americans out of Southern Lebanon, out of Tyre, where the fighting is the heaviest is turning out to be a story of heroism. Details are just emerging here in Cyprus. We expect to learn a lot more over the coming hours when that ship sails out of Tyre and arrives back here.

But let me tell you, what we are learning from our sources inside Lebanon and sources here in Cyprus is really quite amazing. What we are learning is that there are Lebanese-Americans on the ground in Tyre that are using text messaging. They are using text messaging, cell phones, satellite phones, everything they can, to assemble themselves, and to get convoys together.

It's a busy port here. You'll have to forgive me for a moment. It's quite noisy.

They're using all of these high-tech communications tolls to assemble convoys. They are hiring drivers. They are hiring vehicles going up into the mountains, communicating all the time with the American embassy back in Beirut, that has cell phones and maps, and they are directing these convoys up into the mountains, assembling Americans, assembling other Westerners, driving them down through the mountains into the port in Tyre. What we are just learning here, Soledad, is there are a group of Lebanese-Americans behind this movement that are coordinating with the embassy around the clock to get these people oust mountains, perhaps as many as 300 to 500, indeed, and get them to the Princess Marissa that Canadian ship in Tyre.

The state department, the U.S. embassy in Beirut, believing at this point it has a guarantee of safe passage from the Israelis, but a good deal of concern, of course, since that U.N. post was hit in Southern Lebanon recently, about the situation there. But they are telling us that Lebanese-Americans, they even know that there's some Lebanese-Americans from Los Angeles that had been visiting in Southern Lebanon that are using their cell phones, using as much as $8,000 of their own money to hire cars, hire drivers, and make this all happen.

The details are very scarce, but we are just beginning to get them, and when the Princess Marissa docks here in Cyprus overnight, we expect to hear a good deal more about this emerging tale of American heroism.

S. O'BRIEN: Barbara Starr for us this morning in Limassol in Cyprus. Barbara, thanks. Yes, I can see that's a busy port behind you, which I guest is good news, as they continue to bring folks in.

The crisis continues in the Middle East. Diplomats in Rome failing to reach an agreement on ending the violence. What is the next diplomatic step? Let's get right back to Rome this morning, where we find the Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes. Of course, she is -- her new job, but she's traveling with Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, but her new job is also improving America's image in the Arab world.

Nice to see you, Karen. Thanks for talking with us this morning.

KAREN HUGHES, UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE: Thank you, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: First and foremost, there are some people hoop say with this lack of a real deal to bring the violence to an end right now in Lebanon, you run some big risks for the United States. The United States could be blamed, perceived as the problem. Because, of course, Condoleezza Rice, the one who's sticking to her principles on this, saying that we're not going to have any kind of a cease-fire, that she doesn't believe it's a long-term cease-fire. Does the U.S. run a risk here of alienating Arab nations even further with this position?

HUGHES: Well, Soledad I have to disagree quite emphatically with your characterization. Actually, what we just saw here, as a result of the leadership of the United States, was that we brought together the international community, including Arab states such as Egypt and Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

We heard an impassioned appeal from the prime minister of Lebanon about the need for the international community to come together and help Lebanon. And that's what emerged from here, was a strong sense that the international community needs to work together urgently to bring about an end to the violence and work together to make sure that that is sustainable.

There was a strong sense here, Soledad, I heard, that this is different from a border dispute that we've seen in the past in the Middle East; that there are broader forces at work here. And that fundamentally, this is about the future of Lebanon, and about the international community's obligation to work to strengthen Lebanon and its government and its people so that it can determine its own future rather than allowing terrorist elements to destabilize that country and determine its future.

S. O'BRIEN: There's also a strong sense there that the U.S. hold the line, saying no cease-fire, in spite of the protestations -- and we heard them in the closing remarks from the Lebanese prime minister, that what he'd like to see a cease-fire. He'd like to see an end to the violence. And he listed, verbatim, the number of hundreds of people who are being killed, et cetera, et cetera?

HUGHES: Exactly, and Soledad, that's -- I was in the meeting and I heard Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice say to her fellow foreign ministers, the United States wants a cease-fire urgently. We wanted a cease-fire yesterday. We have to be realistic, although, however, and recognize that there are certain things that have to come about in order to achieve that cease-fire.

We heard broad consensus here. In fact, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that this has to be lasting; otherwise, we're just headed toward another -- we're just waiting and holding our breath until the next explosion. This has to be lasting and genuine and comprehensive.

The Prime Minister Siniora of Lebanon made the same point, that just going back to the positions as they existed before the day Hezbollah crossed that international line, kidnapped soldiers and fired rockets at Israel -- just going back to that is not adequate. It would be futile, said the Lebanese prime minister.

We have got to strengthen Lebanon and its government that was elected by its people and its ability to control all of its territory and to end the presence of other armed groups; that the only forces of arms in Lebanon should be held by the government.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, but you're making it sound as if Siniora and if Kofi -- and as if Kofi Annan and as if Condoleezza Rice are all on the same page on that, and they're not. In fact, they're actually on opposite sides. The -- Kofi Annan and Siniora want a cease-fire now. I mean, it's sort of the cart and the horse issue here. And Condoleezza Rice has made it very clear that...

HUGHES: Well, and we want a -- and we -- we want a cease-fire now, Soledad, but we also all recognize that we want a lasting cease- fire. So I think you're getting into semantics here. Secretary Rice was arguing for an urgent work to implement a cease-fire. The French and others preferred the word immediate.

We want to work immediately and urgently. And I think that's what came out of this, the sense that the international community has to work together to provide the security situation and to help provide the political talks that will allow a cease-fire to both take place and then to be effective. And you have to remember what happened here.

S. O'BRIEN: Let me put it this way...

HUGHES: Soledad, I think it's important to remember...

S. O'BRIEN: Let me just interrupt you for one second. Because I think -- you know, and you're right, there are semantics when you use words like urgent and immediate. Condoleezza Rice has said certain things have to happen. Before a cease-fire, Hezbollah has to disarm. Lebanon has to prove that it can manage its area, et cetera, et cetera. There are other people who say, the cease-fire has...

HUGHES: No, I don't think she said that had to happen.

S. O'BRIEN: Go ahead. Forgive me. This distance is...

HUGHES: I don't think she had said that it -- I don't think she's put it in an order like that. She has said that we have to work urgently toward getting an end to hostilities, we have to work urgently to allow the conditions. For example, there was great agreement here that in order to have a cease-fire, you're going to have to have an international force in place to help support the government of Lebanon in its ability to control its country and disarm Hezbollah over the longer run. And so you've got to have an international force in place. As the secretary said yesterday, that international force is not going to shoot its way in. You've got to have a cessation of hostilities in order to be able to have an international force to come in. And we're going to be working urgently over the days ahead to assemble that international force.

And there are lots of questions to be answered. Who leads the force? The -- it was agreed here this morning by the international community that it would go in under U.N. mandate. But what specific country leads it? Who commands it? Where exactly does it deploy? Does it begin to work on the humanitarian delivery first?

Because everyone here is very concerned. The United States of America is very concerned about the plight of the Lebanese people. We've had more than 400 killed, we've got several thousand wounded, we've got hundreds of thousands displaced. We also have people displaced and killed in Israel. We're very concerned about the humanitarian situation. We're working urgently, and, in fact, began today to deliver humanitarian supplies to the people of Lebanon.

And so we've got to be able to work to put the elements in place that will allow the delivery -- and Secretary Rice was -- worked very hard on this yesterday in Israel, getting approval for humanitarian corridors to allow the delivery of supplies...

S. O'BRIEN: No one's arguing that the humanitarian aid is not going to arrive. That was obviously one of the positive pieces of news out of this conference, but a big sticking point is the cease- fire.

I want to move off of that, though, and I want to ask you about your job, which is described as being tasked by the president, leading efforts to promote America's values and confront ideological support for terrorism around the world. When you look at the poll, favorable opinions of the U.S., you look at the numbers from 2005 to 2006. And I'll list some of the countries. France, down significantly. This is a favorable opinion of our nation. Germany down, Spain down, Russia down, Indonesia down. Egypt, hard to tell. Pakistan is -- Jordan down. Turkey down, Nigeria down, India down.

I mean, to some degree, that's your job, right, to raise those numbers, turn that around?

HUGHES: Well, Soledad, it's a long-term challenge, much as we faced in the Cold War. I think in 1948 or 1949, if you asked people what do the poll numbers show about the triumph of the United States of America over communism, you found a different situation than you would have found in 1989, as the Berlin Wall was about to fall.

And so this is a long-term challenge. We're involved in an ideological struggle against violent extremism. And one of the things you saw today is responsible states in the international community come together and say, we need to win this struggle against violent extremism and against the forces of terror. We've had to do some hard things over the last several years, as we've done that. And that's -- I think some of that is reflected in those polls.

But this is a long-term struggle, and I'm confident that our values will prevail, because we basically believe in the dignity and worth and humanity of every single person in the world. And we believe every person in the world has the right to live in freedom and to have a -- seek a better life for themselves and their family and to educate their children, both boys and girls. And I'm confident that those values, that our belief in freedom, is going to prevail over our opponent's belief in tyranny.

S. O'BRIEN: Karen Hughes, undersecretary of state, thanks for talking with us this morning. Thanks for dealing with the audio...

HUGHES: Thank you, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: ... which was kind of difficult this morning. Appreciate it.

HUGHES: Thank you so much.

S. O'BRIEN: Short break. We're back in just a moment. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Want to get to a big story domestically out in California. The temperatures are soaring. Utilities and residents really at their breaking point. The intense heat, no electricity, of course, can be a dangerous and even deadly combination.

AMERICAN MORNING's Ali Velshi has got a look this morning on the power outrage from coast to coast. This is quite remarkable.

S. O'BRIEN: This is quite remarkable.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it really is.

S. O'BRIEN: Especially here in Queens, and across the country.

Across the country, and going about your business without electricity is, you know, tough at the best of time you, but in searing heat, it's uncomfortable, as you said, It could be dangerous, particularly in the heat of summer.

And in New York, where people take the subways, they live in apartment buildings, it kind of shuts things down almost entirely. So we had this blackout in Queens, in California, in St. Louis. Lights have gone out all over the place, and officials in all three states are blaming heat and excess demand.

But summer's been around for as long as I can remember, and for as long as I remember, it gets hot. So what is really the problem?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't cook. I can't iron. I can't anything.

VELSHI (voice-over): Temperatures reached 100 degrees at the height of the blackout, while more than 100,000 people in Queens, New York, balanced the emotions that come from life without air- conditioning, fridges, lights and elevators.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's 50 percent complete, sheer anger, where you just want to kill somebody, and the other 50 percent is just complete depression.

VELSHI: Newsflash -- it's hot in the summer. Americans run the A/C and use more electricity. A strain on the grid is what officials are saying in St. Louis, for instance, where more than half-a-million residents were plunged into darkness.

Extreme heat and the electricity demand created by air- conditioners are also what's being blamed for blackouts and brownouts in California.

But New York has a good power-transmission system. So what happened?

One expert says that Queens had a heart attack.

KATHERINE KENNEDY, NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: Say you have someone who has blocked arteries. He's very sick, not because he doesn't have enough blood, but because he can't circulate the blood through his system where he needs it.

VELSHI (on camera): The blocked arteries in this case are 93,000 miles of this -- rubber-encased copper wire of different sizes that transmits electricity underneath New York's streets. That's enough wire to go around the world at the equator almost four times. And even though it's protected underneath New York's streets, a lot of this wire is decades old, it's decrepit, it needs to e replaced. And like us, the wire does not like the extreme heat.

The city's electricity utility, Consolidated Edison, says it has backups and redundancies, but they didn't work, maybe because the already strained wires got too hot themselves and failed. Critics say ConEd hasn't maintained the wires properly. ConEd says the root of the problem is still under investigation.

Mayor Mike Bloomberg took a page out of President Bush's post- Katrina playbook. Remember when the president publicly defended FEMA boss Michael Brown.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: Brownie, you're going a heck of a job. The FEMA director is working 24...

(APPLAUSE)

VELSHI: Well, he's no Mike Brown, but ConEd boss Kevin Burke is a man under fire.

MYR. MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), NEW YORK: I think Kevin Burke deserves a thanks from this city. He's worked as hard as he can.

VELSHI: But no thanks is what the look on the faces of the folks standing around the mayor seemed to say.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELSHI: Well, this morning ConEd announced that almost all the power has been restored in Queens. But if it does turn out to be about faulty wires, the worse part of this, Soledad, is there's no guarantee that it doesn't happen again.

S. O'BRIEN: So what's happening outside of Queens, then, when we look at the other places that have been hit?

VELSHI: You know, it's interesting, it's a combination of the strain. We use way more electricity than we've ever used before -- air-conditioners, cell phones, whatever it is -- and the actual heat. I mean, in California, transformers are exploding. It's -- we have an infrastructure problem. That's the bottom line. We need to invest in this. Summer doesn't get cooler, and we use more electricity.

S. O'BRIEN: It's back to that artery analogy.

VELSHI It is the blocked artery.

S. O'BRIEN: The blocked artery.

VELSHI: Exactly.

S. O'BRIEN: And that's not a good thing.

VELSHI: No.

S. O'BRIEN: Ali Velshi, thanks.

We've got to take a short break. We're back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

S. O'BRIEN: We are out of time. That's all we've got on AMERICAN MORNING. Let's throw it right to Daryn Kagan. She's standing by to pick up the coverage for the next couple of hours.

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